Universal Hub - All Boston, all the time

Court: Fidelity investment advisers not covered by federal whistleblower law

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:56:32 +0000

A federal appeals court today tossed a lawsuit by two people working for a Fidelity subscontractor who alleged they were fired for bringing up possible accounting irregularities, because a federal law intended to protect the public from securities fraud is limited to employees of companies that are publicly traded.

A dome improves everything it covers

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:23:33 +0000

It'll be a sea change at the New England Aquarium, where WBZ reports officials are planning a major overhaul of the ocean tank, including a dome, a new reef and new windows all the way down.

Three bars win approval for fairly sober bottle service at certain tables

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:56:59 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board yesterday approved requests from Red Lantern in the Back Bay, Kennedy's Midtown downtown and Down Ultra Lounge in the Financial District to let groups of customers drink from a bottle of liquor right on their table.

But bowing to the city's general distaste for bottle service, all three said customers would not actually be able to buy an entire bottle of liquor for the night.

New Yorkers buy another Boston newspaper

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:56:09 +0000

The New York Post reports the Irish Voice has bought the Boston-based Irish Immigrant.

The acquisition leaves the Boston Irish Reporter as the only locally owned Irish-focused newspaper in New England.

Disclosure: I do some Web work for the owners of the Reporter.

Cripes, leave Little Joe alone already

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:03:32 +0000

Hasn't the poor guy suffered enough indignities in his life in Franklin Park? The Globe reports the gorilla was unable to pick between the Patriots and Giants so the zoo had to swap in some substitute gorilla for the dumb stunt.

Mattapan man charged with stabbing woman in his apartment - but what was she doing there?

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:44:02 +0000

Jimmy Ammons's attorney acknowledges a struggle inside his apartment yesterday morning ended with a woman rushed to the hospital near death and Ammons fleeing to his mother's house in Dorchester.

But at his arraignment in Dorchester District Court today, Virgen Palermo said the reason the woman was in the apartment to begin with - and what the two were fighting about - could determine the outcome of the case against Ammons, a laid off city DPW sign painter now facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to murder.

Hackers take down Boston Police blog

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:09:31 +0000

Anonymous, the group that had earlier posted login info for the Boston police-union Web site, busted BPDNews today, Gizmodo reports.

Unlike other official city Web sites, BPDNews has always been hosted on a private third-party server.

The attack is supposedly over the way BPD allegedly sent "undercover TSA agents to assualt [sic] and attempt to steal from some organizers."

This is possibly a reference to an incident the night BPD shut down the Dewey Square encampment, when an off-duty TSA agent in a suit allegedly slapped an Occupier and stole her cellphone after calling her and other women prostitutes. He was, however, promptly arrested by Boston Police officers.

Earlier:
Anonymous hacks police-union Web site.
DA seeks Twitter info on some Occupy Boston supporters.

Picking up Crumbs downtown

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:22:29 +0000

Anali reports Federal Street is getting a Crumbs Bake Shop, which apparently is all the rage in the big cities that have them.

Holey moley: Developer that actually builds things downtown to take lead on Filene's project

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:37:10 +0000

The lights were on but nobody was home the other night, CKP reports.

The Globe reports Millennium Partners has struck a deal with the owner of the Hole to actually build a tower on the negative space on Washington Street.

Millennium Partners built the Ritz and is currently building a new residential tower on the other side of Washington Street. Vornado Realty Trust of New York tore down most of Filene's - it will remain a "passive" partner in the new project.

Details of the plan - such as the exact specs of the tower and whether the city sweetened the deal with promises of Liberty Mutual-style tax breaks - remain unknown. The Globe says Millennium Partners expects to file its proposal within two months.

It's amazing what you can get on Etsy these days

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:32:55 +0000

At least, we're assuming this guy got his unique jacket on Etsy - just look at that fine handcrafted design!

Rima Chaddha Mycynek spotted man and jacket at Harvard Square today.

And that, kids, is why headlines are no joking matter

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:52:48 +0000

Staffers at the Suffolk Journal this week learned one of the most important rules of print journalism: If you put in a joke headline, you're going to forget to take it out and it will run and boy are you going to regret it.

In today's issue of The Journal, we published an inappropriate sub-headline in the article "SLI Involvement Fair a success." We want to apologize profusely for the mistake and make it clear that we in no way harbor ill feelings towards the Student Leadership and Involvement Office, nor any of the students and staff that work there. The sub-head was put in as a joke, by editors, that unfortunately slipped through our editing process later in the night. We want to make it clear that the reporter who wrote the article had no idea or anything to do with the subhead.

And just what did they write? See for yourself.

H/t, Dan.

Police to lock down North Station, Fenway Park areas at halftime

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:54:11 +0000

Boston Police say anybody not ensconced in a bar in those areas by the time Madonna starts to sing on Sunday will be turned away from the area. And people who are in a bar who leave after she starts belting it out will be escorted out of the area.

In its listing of Important Super Bowl Safety Tips for Patriots Fans Looking to Behave Like Champions, police say that in addition to massive presence around North Station and Kenmore Square, they will also "employ extensive use of video-cameras" to capture evidence of hooliganism.

The document warns that five or more people "tumultuously assembled" on the street can be ordered to disperse immediately.

Stabbing in Cummins Highway apartment building leaves one near death

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:46:43 +0000

2/2/12 - 12:10 pm

UPDATE: A source says the victim, a woman, is now expected to survive and that a man is in custody.

Somebody was stabbed shortly after noon in an apartment at 884 Cummins Highway and was rushed to Boston Medical Center. Homicide detectives were summoned to the scene - routine whenever there's a chance the victim might die. Police are looking for a 1998 Volvo S7 with Mass. plates of 462 HD7.

Backhoe takes out electricity to parts of Fenway, Back Bay, Kenmore Square

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:27:33 +0000

Firefighters, police and NStar workers are on scene on Massachusetts Avenue by the Berklee construction site, where a backhoe took out some underground power conduits around 9 a.m., causing a power outage that extends to Northeastern and Bay State Road. The backhoe operator was apparently injured, but not critically.

Roving UHub reporter Chelsea reports:

Saw flashes then puff of smoke at mass ave and belvedere

He's on track

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:02:17 +0000

Victoria Welch spotted this guy this morning gazing at Fort Point Channel - from down on one of the tracks once used to swing the bridge open:

I don't know how he got down there, but I hope he was just curious about the view.

Sandwich chain doing its part to destroy the wallet industry

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:38:16 +0000

Street Fight interviews Mike Conley, director of marketing at Sebastians Cafe, which now has 2,200 people signed up for its phone-based payment and loyalty programs - customers use their phones rather than old-fashioned cash or credit cards to pay for lunch. Naturally, the chain started with its Kendall Square location first.

It's just an easier, great way to pay. I forgot my wallet one day, going into a meeting, and I was like: "Oh, crap. I can't pay for food. Oh, wait a minute. I have my phone. I have LevelUp." It's interesting that everyone is starting to realize how this is a very usable tool for payments.

Developers of old Herald site come back with bigger plans

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:47:24 +0000

Just as neighbors requested; plans show four buildings housing residential units and stores, arranged in four buildings designed to look like "an authentic city block" and called the Ink Block.

Happy Gronkhog Day

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:28:55 +0000

Henry Santoro notes:

If he practices today, we win Sunday's game by six points. If he doesn't practice...let's not think about it.

Northeastern students warned to stay indoors Sunday night or face arrest

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:33:22 +0000

UPDATE: Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis says memo is misleading; people can't be arrested just for being outside; a Northeastern official agrees. More in the comments.

Residents of at least a couple of Northeastern dorms got a warning tonight from college Residential Life: Don't even think about going outside during or after the Super Bowl:

Local Susan G. Komen affiliate: Planned Parenthood's never asked us for money, so we're cool, right?

adamg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:30:46 +0000

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Massachusetts posts on its Facebook page that the national group's decision to stop giving money to Planned Parenthood for mammography screenings because of, oh, trumped up allegations by Republican congressmen won't affect anything in Massachusetts because the local Planned Parenthood never asked it for money.

Of course, if Planned Parenthood did ask Susan G. of Massachusetts for money, well:

It is our hope that any investigations that impact our ability to fund organizations will be resolved in an expedited manner so that we may continue funding services for our residents through whichever programs best serve their needs.